ALMOST 70 people were at a meeting of Crediton Hamlets Parish Council held at Cheriton Bishop, most of them objecting to a planning application for one static caravan and two touring vans for the use of gypsy and traveller family.

This included change of use of an agricultural field on land south east of Latymer Courtenays near Yeoford for Ms A Tyrer. Also present at the meeting was Mr Adrian Devereux of Mid Devon District Council’s planning department.

Cllr Derek Coren, district member for the area, had to leave the room because he is a neighbour of the proposed site.

A member of the public who lives at Binneford, down the hill from the application site, spoke about the main objections of the people who live in that area.

He said there were “considerable” access issues. Some ground work had already been done and people did not feel the site met many of the criteria for gypsy and traveller sites, especially over access to a hospital or school.

They felt the diagrams with the application were inaccurate, there had been no application for a water supply, the site was very exposed and would be seen by walkers on the Two Moors Way and others.

OTHER SITES

He said an application for a stable block on that field had been refused. The site was very close to a priority habitat area. He said there were currently 60 objectors on the district council website.

Mr Devereux said the highway authority had done a 24-hour speed survey and found traffic was 20 mph on the lane where the site was.

As for availability of alternative sites, Mr Devereux said that Mid Devon District Council is facilitating the provision of housing in Mid Devon through the planning process to help meet the needs of the whole community.

This includes sites for Gypsies and Travellers, and also for Travelling Showpeople. Planning permission currently exists for 18 new pitches for Gypsies and Travellers on small sites across the district with the potential for further planning permissions in the future to be granted.

The Local Plan includes further provision for new pitches on urban extensions at Crediton, Tiverton and Cullompton.

He said the Highways Authority would need to see how much hedgerow might need to be removed, the council was waiting for a response from its own team about drainage, it was waiting for further comments.

The council would need to weigh up need and whether there were alternative sites.

One member of the public said this application seemed to contravene all the criteria for gypsy or traveller sites.

ENFORCEMENT

Another said a caravan would be likely to ground if approaching from the Binneford end of the lane, leaving only one direction of access and he wondered if there would be room to turn a caravan on the site.

One person said a reed bed would not work on this site, if one static caravan was allowed, others would be sure to follow, would the site be monitored by the district council. Another said there had already been one event on the site that had caused disruption to the area.

Mr Devereux explained that there was an enforcement order on the two caravans now on the site. He advised waiting until the planning application was determined before seeing what happened with the enforcement order.

The meeting was told that Hittisleigh Parish Council had objected to the application.

Councillors commented that there was still the issue of access to school and hospital with another saying that if the district council felt this to be an appropriate site, then what was not.

Another wondered if, as this was for family use, would the extended family also use it and how would the district council monitor the site. Other members reiterated that the approach road was not suitable for caravans.

IN SUPPORT

Another commented that Pedlerspool “would tick all the boxes” for gypsy or traveller sites.

One person said that people in support had not been given chance to speak, but the chairman refuted this.

The parish council recommended that the district council refused the application on grounds of highways issues, environmental health issues, impact on the community, there was no evidence of need, it was an unsuitable site in relation to access to infrastructure and local transport and concerns that the site, if allowed, would expand.

People were told to send their comments to the district council, quoting the planning application details.

OTHER PLANNING

A notification of intention from Great Western Railway to crown lift all trees to three metres from ground level within the Conservation Area at Yeoford Railway Station was supported.

Also supported was an application from Mr and Mrs Cooper for Listed Building Consent for internal remedial and structural work to floors and ceiling beams in the lounge and bedroom and remedial or structural work to the roof of Hollacombe Farm.

Supported was an application from Mr Banbury to erect a 730 square metre livestock building on land at Denbury Farm.

It was noted that the district council had approved an outline application from Miss Huxter for an agricultural worker’s dwelling at Middle Moor Farm, Woodland Head.

NIGHT LANDING SITE

Discussions were still going on to find an acceptable site for allotments at Yeoford following a request from more than six residents.

The council was told it was possible to have Section 106 funding for this. It had been asked if the land could be free of pesticides.

It was thought the parish council would probably need around £25,000 to supply allotments.

Looking into a night landing site for Devon Air Ambulance on the Recreation Field at Yeoford, it was agreed Yeoford councillors would meet a DAAT representative who would talk at the November meeting.

Reporting on the Local Government Ward Boundary Review, Cllr Derek Coren said the first meeting had been held the previous week. He understood no changes were proposed for parish boundaries.

Among roads and footpaths in the area that needed attention was the Three Gates Cross area between Yeoford and Cheriton Bishop and outside Uton Barton.

Cllr Nick Way (district and county member) said there had been a “quite serious” accident at the junction of Westwood Lane and Westwood Road on the edge of Crediton when one person had been injured.

REMEMBRANCE

“We knew something like that would happen and now it has,” he said. “About 24 hours afterwards, magically, double yellow lines appeared on the corner.”

He added that, at last, there was almost an hourly service on the Tarka Line railway with an earlier train in the morning to connect with the London train. This was especially good for Barnstaple travellers.

There would also be a late night train and the Pacers were to be replaced by newer trains that give more room and can take more passengers. “A really big improvement,” he said.

Cllr Way was meeting people in North Devon about the proposed fire service cuts. Cllr Way said there was quite a strong feeling in all the communities. Members agreed it was not just putting out fires any more that could be affected.

Councillors wondered about arrangements for the Remembrance Day service at the Crediton town and Hamlets War Memorial in Crediton. Hamlets Parish Council pays towards upkeep of the War Memorial.

The next meeting of Crediton Hamlets will be in the Community Hall at Yeoford on November 4.